Safety & Rescue

Rescue numbers remain cause for alarm as abalone season set to open

Despite no fatalities last season but with rescue numbers alarmingly high, Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) is urging fishers to put safety ahead of their catch as the annual West Coast Zone abalone fishing season opens this weekend. Last year, volunteer surf lifesavers performed 46 rescues, administered 48 cases of…

Spring heralds return of patrols to WA beaches

Surf Life Saving WA’s Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service will return to the sky tomorrow, watching over West Australian beachgoers through until April 2023. Surf Life Saving WA General Manager Lifesaving Chris Peck, said the Service continues to play a central role in helping keep WA beachgoers safe. “While…

Surf joins Water Police & Marine Rescue for training day

Last Thursday, 18 August, with representatives from six of our clubs, we joined forces with the Peel Water Police and Mandurah Volunteer Marine Rescue in a multi-agency training exercise in preparation for the coming season. With more than 50 participants, including 18 members from Secret Harbour, Port Bouvard, City Of…

Inaugural Heli Crew School set to take off

With SLSWA’s Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter (WLRH) Service recently wrapping up patrols ahead of winter, preparations are well and truly underway for the coming season, as the team kicked off the first stages of its Crew recruitment process for 2022/23. Following an Expression of Interest process, which saw almost…

Spotted a shark at the beach? Would you know how to report it?

Our vibrant marine ecosystem here in WA means a range of marine life, including sharks, may be present at your chosen beach. Beachgoers are always encouraged to report a sighting of a shark to ensure necessary actions can be taken by the authorities to help keep other beachgoers safe. These…

Safety a priority as abalone season opens

Despite no fatalities last season but with rescue numbers alarmingly high, Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) is urging fishers to put personal safety and the safety of friends, family and fellow fishers ahead of their catch as the annual West Coast Zone abalone fishing season opens this weekend. Surf Life…

Surf Life Saving WA reports dramatic increase in beach clearances as a result of shark sightings

With a more than 300% increase in the number of people cleared from the water at WA beaches this year due to the presence of sharks, Surf Life Saving WA’s Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service continues to play a vital role in keeping West Australian beachgoers safe. As the…

With drownings up, safety takes priority ahead of holiday break

As Western Australia’s coastal and ocean drowning deaths continue to rise, Surf Life Saving WA is imploring people to take heed of warnings and plan appropriately ahead of what is expected to be a warm Easter long weekend and start to the school holidays. “We have seen a 140% increase…